Behind the Veil of Cult Life

Why do people join cults? Actress Sarah Edmondson, author of Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life, and Amanda Montell, author of Cultish: The Language of Fantatism answer this question, and discuss the weaponized language and control techniques that make cults so dangerous. First-hand experience connects social science and linguistics, taking us behind the veil of recruitment and containment, and how we fall victim to cultish groups without realizing it.